Summary

In response to a recent surge in catalytic converter thefts, King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn is proposing new measures that make it harder to profit from stolen catalytic converter sales in King County.

Story

In response to a recent surge in catalytic converter thefts, King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn is proposing new measures that make it harder to profit from stolen catalytic converter sales in King County.

“Over 1,400 catalytic converters — a shocking number — were stolen from King County residents’ cars last year,” Dunn said. “This is a crime that directly impacts everyday folks who rely on their vehicle to get to work and take care of their families, and we must do more to stop it.”

Dunn’s legislation, introduced on Thursday, would create several new requirements for catalytic converter sales, including showing a government-issued photo ID that matches a provided copy of the registration from the vehicle from which the catalytic converter was removed, as well as a notarized statement confirming that the seller is the legal owner of the vehicle and a minimum of two photos of the catalytic converter. A $2,000 fine would be instated for any shop found not to be upholding these requirements. 

Dunn also introduced a companion motion that would express the Council’s support for House Bill 1815, the state-level fix that would create a work group to provide recommendations related to reducing catalytic converter theft in Washington and establish a grant training program to assist local law enforcement agencies in the support of special enforcement targeting metal theft. This motion, if passed, will also request the King County Sheriff’s Office and the Prosecuting Attorney's Office to give regular updates to the council on any opportunities for the County to engage with the state work group, updated statistics on catalytic converter thefts, progress updates on the state work group, and potential impacts of the decisions of the work group on King County.

The number of catalytic converter thefts that have been reported in King County was up a shocking 12,855% from 2019-2021, from just 11 in 2019, to 285 in 2020, to 1,425 thefts in 2021.

The proposal will be referred to committee in the coming weeks.